When Liezl Els talks about children with autism, and changes the Center of Excellence in Jupiter could make in their lives ... she speaks with passion.

That passion comes from experience.

She and her husband, Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els, and their daughter Samantha, 14, live with the experience of having a child on the autistic spectrum every day.

Ben, now 12 years old, was diagnosed as being on that spectrum when he was 4.

A STORY OF ACTION/OF GIVING BACK

"Ben couldn't have a better big sister," Liezl said.

"He is lucky to have Samantha as a sister. With the attention the family gets she is pretty unaffected. She was always in front of the camera, with Ernie, growing up, so it has been a natural progression." The family could have closed ranks, using their position worldwide and their finances to make sure Ben had the best therapies and that was all .

But they decided to do something differently.

They created the Els for Autism Foundation.

And after a long search for land, they decided to build a Center of Excellence, where children on the autistic spectrum could have the best education, newest therapies and worldwide scientific thinking and research — thanks to the center's digital technology.

"When we moved here, we enrolled Ben in the Renaissance School in West Palm Beach, but the lower school and the upper school are in two different locations, they are all spread out in different buildings," Liezl says.

"After talking to Dick Busto at the Renaissance School, we learned his dream was to consolidate the school building on one campus.

"We wanted to give back," Liezl said.

"We wanted to do something that you could physically see and it would physically help people including Ben who are out there today on the autistic spectrum. If the numbers of children with autism is as high as the scientists working with 18-monthold children say, then we have a huge community that we are responsible for already ... and definitely inadequate facilities for them at this stage."

GROUNDBREAKING — JUPITER

The groundbreaking for the Center of Excellence will be March 10 and the first two buildings to be constructed will be the auditorium and the lower school.

Liezl said the work on the entire four-building complex, which will also include recreational facilities such as a swimming pool and track, will continue on course. The lower school and auditorium will open in time for the August 2015 school year beginning.

• Ernie Els has seen his fellow PGA Tour professionals reach out and be part of the Golf Days, where a slew of pros team with amateurs to raise funds.

• In addition, the Golf Challenge, which has teams of amateur golfers vying for a chance to raise more than $10,000, and earn a place in the Grand Finale in Las Vegas in October, takes place in 20 different venues across the country.

• The combination of these events has produced $15 million of the $30 million needed to complete the center.

UNBELIEVABLE

"The response to the fundraising of the foundation has been unbelievable. Our biggest golf fundraisers are the Golf Days, which are held three times a year," Liezl said.

"If we didn't have the support on tour, we couldn't do this." In addition, hundreds of amateurs participate in the annual Golf Challenge program from April to the Grand Finale in October. Liezl said there is an additional benefit to the Golf Challenges.

"Not only do we have something financially that we leave behind, but there is also the awareness of autism that we leave behind," Liezl said.

"In the beginning I didn't think we were doing enough, but then people would come up and thank us. We'd have people say, ‘Finally my husband is talking about our child because your husband is talking about his child.'" SAP, one of Ernie's sponsors, has led the way corporately, making a commitment to having qualified individuals on the autistic spectrum as part of the company, in productive and important roles. Other companies have followed SAP's lead.

Liezl said the fundraising will be continuous, since there are always new goals, but that it will probably become easier once the Center of Excellence is up and running.

HEART OF HEARTS

"In my heart of hearts, I want this to be a special school," Liezl said, of the school where students from Renaissance School will eventually attend.

It will not only benefit Palm Beach County but the world.

"Part of our outreach at the school is to bring the best practices to the international community. With the entire school being digital, you can share with the world. In addition, it will be easier for the parents in our community, since we will have all the therapies in one place.

"Eventually, we want a medical facility where there will be doctors, specialist and neurologist on the property." The more than 100 students in the lower school at Renaissance School will be the first to come to the center, quickly followed by the 97 students in the upper school.

"We decided to start with the lower school since it has a long waiting list at the Renaissance School," Liezl said. The Center of Excellence has a capacity of 300 students, so many of those on the waiting list will be able to attend the school when it is opened.

But the Center of Excellence isn't just for Palm Beach County students with autism, it is for the world community.

DIGITAL FORMAT

"The entire school will be digital, and those who have children on the autistic spectrum are already sharing information. But what we want is to not just have the parents on Twitter, but to have very specific groups of professionals speak to one another. In some cases, scientists are reluctant to share their research, since they have a grant, but it is changing," Liezl said.

"The Internet, I think is the reason why all of this is changing. There are good people out there who are realizing that this is bigger than the money I'm getting for research because the problem is bigger than us, and a lot of scientists are beginning to share information." There are several avenues of sharing, from webinars and seminars, to viewing students in the classroom from the technologically advanced auditorium.

Teachers and professionals will be able to visit the school, remotely or in person. They will be able to work with students in a specific age group or see the different strategies being used to reach the children and help them learn. And, Liezl said, no child will be videotaped or photographed without the parents' permission.

New ideas and new practices throughout the world will be shared and evaluated, Liezl said.

"There are already a lot of examples of people sharing, so that different doctors can give their opinion and researchers can evaluate certain behaviors or certain teaching methods. The difference, according to Liezl, is that the Center of Excellence will become a clearinghouse for information and strategies for those living and teaching children on the autistic spectrum.

ON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Liezl realizes that teachers in public schools are also working with these youngsters.\ "I would love to be able to go to all the public schools, because I know there are people out there bending over backward to help these kids in the public schools," Liezl said. "Our public school system has to be taught how to handle these kids, and ultimately that would be huge." At some point, she would like a program for young adults on the autistic spectrum, to help them lead more independent lives.

Liezl's wheels are continually turning, she admits, as she thinks of different ways to not only help children with autism but the community as well. "Miss Edna Runner is already thinking about having her kids help with our kids, to see this as an opportunity." Part of the Center of Excellence — the auditorium initially — will be available to the Jupiter public, including the town. Its location at the end of Limestone Creek Road means that the traffic impact will occur, but be minimal, she says.